Seeing Prince Nanzhao show no reaction, Eunuch Xu wasn’t sure whether to continue, but he didn’t dare hesitate either. “Lady Qinji has hanged herself… she has passed.”

Yet, once the words were out, Prince Nanzhao merely waved his hand, gesturing for him to leave, without saying a single word.

Thinking back to how favored Qinji had once been, only to receive such a cold, indifferent reaction from His Majesty now, Eunuch Xu felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, but dared not say anything more, retreating in silence.

For a ruler, a woman was truly nothing more than a garment—if it looked good and felt comfortable, one might wear it more often, but ultimately, it was still just something to be worn, something that could be changed or discarded at any time.

How fortunate indeed was the one who could win a monarch’s lifelong devotion, even to the point of forsaking the throne itself for love!

No sooner had Eunuch Xu left than a messenger arrived, hurrying to deliver a sealed dispatch from the front lines straight into Prince Nanzhao’s hands.

Only then did Prince Nanzhao, who had been sitting in gloomy silence, finally show some reaction.

This was a letter from Elder Sheng.

As Prince Nanzhao opened the dispatch, the officials present all secretly glanced up. This war between Nanzhao and Da Zhou had erupted so suddenly.

They all knew it concerned the isolated island, but the details remained known only to the three great clan heads.

Just moments ago, they’d been discussing terms for peace negotiations, and someone had brought up conditions for reconciliation—only for Prince Nanzhao to fall silent, and everyone else followed suit.

After all, even in deliberation, the final decision still rested with Prince Nanzhao alone.

Everyone naturally hoped the urgent dispatch from the front lines carried good news. But when Prince Nanzhao finished reading it, his expression turned icy cold, and everyone’s hearts sank at once, sensing something was terribly wrong.

The hall, already silent, now fell so quiet one could hear everyone’s individual breathing.

No one knew how much time passed before Prince Nanzhao, seemingly having made some momentous decision, said flatly, “Someone, pass this around for everyone to see.” Yet the dispatch had barely made it halfway around the room before the entire chamber erupted into an uproar.

They’d all just been discussing whether to commit their full military strength to force Jun Beiyue into peace negotiations!

Yet now it turned out Jun Beiyue had already issued his own warning: as long as Prince Nanzhao publicly revealed the centuries of injustice suffered by the isolated island, and personally apologized to its survivors before the public, Da Zhou would be willing to accept Prince Nanzhao’s request for peace.

Negotiating peace and requesting peace were two entirely different things!

The isolated island—that long-forbidden, taboo subject—actually had survivors? Actual grievances to be redressed? What on earth was going on here?

Amid the uproar, everyone turned to look at Prince Nanzhao.

But in truth, by the time Prince Nanzhao decided to pass the dispatch around for the officials to read, he had already made up his mind.

If this war continued any further, he simply couldn’t afford to lose.

Though he wouldn’t lose to Jun Beiyue directly, he would still end up losing the entire Nanzhao kingdom. With the Jiaoren clan defecting, and the Beast Clan and Medicine Clan suffering devastating losses, chaos would inevitably erupt among Nanzhao’s various clans.

Today’s Nanzhao royal house, whether in military might or in governance by virtue, could no longer hope to unify Nanzhao.

But Jun Beiyue was different!

He was in the prime of his life, and even if he had nothing else to his name, his sheer ability and reputation alone would let him conquer Longyuan city by city if he had to.

In other words, Jun Beiyue could afford to lose; Prince Nanzhao could not. That was why Jun Beiyue could throw everything on the line so recklessly, while Prince Nanzhao had to calculate every gain and loss, every consequence, at every single step.

As Prince Nanzhao raised his head, the uproar gradually subsided. No one could quite say why, but in that brief moment, though he still sat there, Prince Nanzhao, still dressed in his most noble finery, seemed to everyone present like an entirely different person—as though he’d aged several years in an instant.

Already advanced in age, and now appearing even older still, he gave off an unmistakable air—the scent of something called despair, something called death.

Before Prince Nanzhao even opened his mouth, many of the older officials present could already read the situation clearly, already sensing what was coming.

The room gradually fell silent, everyone’s eyes fixed on Prince Nanzhao.

“The isolated island…” The moment Prince Nanzhao uttered these two words, everyone instantly perked up, straining their ears to listen.

The isolated island! What secret did the isolated island truly hold—was there really some grave injustice buried there?

“The matter of the isolated island… back then, there were indeed quite a few aspects worth reconsidering.” Prince Nanzhao spoke very slowly, but no one had any thought of hurrying him along—everyone waited patiently, listening word by word, careful not to miss even the slightest phrase!

This secret had been buried for far, far too long.

“The royal house indeed… had certain shortcomings in its judgment back then. However!” At this point, Prince Nanzhao paused briefly before continuing, “But the royal house back then truly did act with the overall situation in mind, for the sake of Nanzhao’s unification and stability. Now…”

What the actual truth was, Prince Nanzhao himself wasn’t entirely clear on, and neither was anyone else.

Back then, the Nanzhao royal house had hardly possessed such noble, lofty sentiments—they had simply viewed the isolated island as a force threatening the royal house’s rule, one that had to be eradicated at the root, sparing no one.

Yet today, even having already decided to seek peace, Prince Nanzhao still had to preserve the Nanzhao royal house’s dignity.

Even a tree needs its bark, and a person needs their dignity—how much more so for a great royal house!

Prince Nanzhao glossed over the matter of the isolated island with vague, evasive words, sitting up straight and adjusting his breathing before continuing, “Now, having consulted with all of you, my ministers, I have decided—heeding the loyal counsel of my ministers, and for the sake of Nanzhao’s people—to take a step back for the greater good, and seek peace with Da Zhou!”

At these words, another uproar swept through the entire chamber, yet this uproar existed only in everyone’s hearts—no one dared show it openly.

“Heeding the loyal counsel of my ministers”?

What audacity for Prince Nanzhao to say such a thing—this was clearly just him giving himself a graceful way down the steps. Anyone with any sense, hearing this, could already guess the truth behind the isolated island’s grievances!

Of course, uproar or not, Prince Nanzhao was still Prince Nanzhao. Even with the three clan heads present today, they would still willingly serve as the steps for him to descend gracefully.

But even with Prince Nanzhao dressing up his words so grandly, so eloquently, nothing could ever restore the Nanzhao royal house’s authority in everyone’s hearts.

In a certain sense, when it came to winning people’s hearts, Jun Beiyue had already won this war long ago.

How much longer could a royal house like this possibly endure? Quite a few people present, keeping their expressions carefully neutral, had already begun pondering this very question.

That night, Prince Nanzhao publicly drafted an imperial edict, dispatched with utmost urgency to the front lines, ordering Elder Sheng and the old Beast Clan elder to represent the Nanzhao royal house in requesting peace.

Once everyone dispersed, they all breathed sighs of relief—regardless of the outcome, no one had ever wanted this war in the first place.

Jun Beiyue, too, had shown willingness to negotiate peace, so the request for peace was bound to be accepted!

With this, everyone finally felt at ease, because if the war continued, once the Jiaoren landed, even the capital itself might not escape becoming a battlefield.

Now that everyone felt reassured, of course they had more leisure and inclination to discuss this matter at length.

The fact that Prince Nanzhao hadn’t personally gone to the front lines to seek peace was the very first thing people began discussing.

Some said Prince Nanzhao lacked the courage; others said he couldn’t accept losing, lacked grace and magnanimity—in short, before the battle had even officially ended, all of Nanzhao was already abuzz with rumors and gossip.

News of Prince Nanzhao’s request for peace had not yet reached the front lines, but by this point, Jun Beiyue and Ziqing had already fully prepared themselves to accept Nanzhao’s surrender.

Calling it “negotiating peace” was simply giving Nanzhao face; calling it “requesting peace” was Jun Beiyue’s own actual wording—but in essence, it was surrender, plain and simple.

Deep in the night, with everyone else asleep, Jun Beiyue and Ziqing sat together by the riverbank, gazing at the brightly lit tents on the opposite shore.

Three days had passed, and the beast army that should have come swarming in full force had yet to appear—more than enough to indicate that Prince Nanzhao had already made up his mind.

Beneath the bright moon, amid the glowing lights, the darkness concealed the bloody side of the battlefield. Tonight, with the moon full and the flowers in bloom, it truly was a fine night for the fifteenth of the month.

Ziqing leaned against Jun Beiyue’s shoulder. Not since that time watching the sunrise together on the ship had she sat so peacefully beside him like this.

“In this war, Prince Nanzhao lost because he lacked the courage,” Ziqing said flatly.

In truth, even she herself wasn’t entirely certain just how far Jun Beiyue would have been willing to go.

But she knew there had to be a bottom line somewhere—after all, he couldn’t help but consider the wellbeing of Da Zhou’s people. He was, after all, the undefeated war prince who had never once lost a battle, never once let an enemy invade Da Zhou’s borders.

Jun Beiyue smiled softly, seeming to agree with Ziqing’s assessment. He tilted his head to look at her, and under the tranquil moonlight, his handsome features seemed all the more otherworldly.

At such close distance, Ziqing’s heart began pounding rapidly.

“If I’d had enough leverage back then, perhaps…”

Before Jun Beiyue could finish, Ziqing covered his mouth, shaking her head firmly.

She knew exactly what he was about to say.

If he’d been powerful enough back then, he could have directly confronted Prince Nanzhao, launched this war outright—perhaps they wouldn’t have had to endure so much.

Unfortunately, back then, they’d had nothing at all—no gunpowder, no Qiankun poison pouch, no poison beasts, and, very early on, they hadn’t even known about the golden Jiaoren hidden within Baili Weisheng.

“If we still had no leverage to this day, would you still be willing to accompany me in ‘sneaking around,’ continuing to search for the isolated island?” Ziqing asked flatly.

Jun Beiyue removed her hand from his lips, smiling helplessly, “Of course.”

“That’s enough. No need for so many ‘ifs,’ silly…” Ziqing said, smiling as well.

Having a promise like that was enough—she didn’t want to dwell on anything else. Now, all she wished for was to extract every secret from Prince Nanzhao and find the isolated island as quickly as possible.

She only hoped that the isolated island, hidden away for over three hundred years, was still doing well.

Jun Beiyue spoke of “ifs” of one kind, while Ziqing spoke of “ifs” of another. Looking at the woman before him, he suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of unspoken words, all of which he could simply smile away.

If he hadn’t transmitted the enchanting fragrance to her back then;
If she’d had no strength to resist that fragrance;
If that blade she’d stabbed into her own chest had gone just a bit deeper;
If he, through carelessness, had never discovered the secret of her true origins…

If, if—enough of that!

He smiled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her lips, when suddenly, a deliberately raised voice interrupted him.

“Papa… Papa!” Who else would dare do such a thing besides Xiong Xiaobao?

A flash of displeasure crossed Jun Beiyue’s eyes as he looked up. This little troublemaker had better have something important to say, sneaking out this late at night—otherwise, he was asking to be punished.

“Speak!” Jun Beiyue said coldly, while Ziqing suppressed a smile.

Seeing this, Xiong Xiaobao grumbled inwardly—did he really seem like the type to have no sense of boundaries, interrupting his parents’ romantic moments for no reason?

Of course this was important!

Putting on his most dignified elder-statesman air, he cleared his throat a few times before saying earnestly, “Papa, Uncle Situ and Auntie Qianqian have arrived!”

At these words, Ziqing was the first to jump up. “Really!”

“Mommy, I never lie to you,” Xiong Xiaobao said, rolling his eyes repeatedly before turning to slip away, because he noticed his father, upon hearing this news, still showed no reaction whatsoever—clearly, in his father’s esteemed opinion, this matter didn’t count as important either…

Ziqing had originally told Situ Haonan and the others not to come, but there had been no stopping them, unfortunately.

By the time Ziqing and Jun Beiyue returned to camp, Situ Haonan and Yelu Qianqian were already deep in conversation with Jue Mingzi and Meng Duo’er, discussing the war, of course.

The moment Ziqing entered, Yelu Qianqian immediately stood up and strode over. This girl had changed so much—especially after becoming Empress of Western Jing, the change was even more pronounced.

No longer the carefree, easygoing girl she’d once been, and certainly not the delicate, graceful demeanor of a lady raised in seclusion, but rather a bold, striding confidence, a heroic bearing that carried far more of a commanding presence than before.

Seeing Yelu Qianqian like this, Ziqing felt gratified, yet at the same time, couldn’t help but think of Xuanyuan Lige, an inevitable wave of nostalgic longing washing over her.

Ah Li, up there in heaven, are you doing well? Do you smile more than you used to?

Ziqing, rest easy, be well.

The moment Yelu Qianqian reached Ziqing, she didn’t hold back at all, immediately throwing her arms wide and hugging Ziqing tightly. Ziqing let out a soft laugh, tinged with faint helplessness, like an older sister facing her little sister.

“I’ve missed you so much! You all went to war so quickly and didn’t even bother telling us—that’s really no fun at all!”

Yelu Qianqian complained openly, while Situ Haonan exchanged a fist bump with Jun Beiyue, smiling without saying a word.

No blow could ever compare to the one this couple had already endured, and yet they had borne it, and faced it with composure—this was the most brilliant, admirable light of their character, deserving of the utmost respect.

“Alright, alright, let go of me, let’s sit down first,” Ziqing said, finally having to push Yelu Qianqian back, guiding her to sit.

As the pleasantries continued here, Xiong Xiaobao went off to rouse Baili Weisheng, who at that very moment was sleeping soundly.

“Wake up, Auntie Qianqian and the others have arrived, everyone’s over there—you’re the only one still sleeping!”

“Hey, if you’re pretending to be asleep, I won’t be polite about it.”

Xiong Xiaobao tugged hard at Baili Weisheng’s hand, but unfortunately, this man seemed to have developed a habit—even having lost his memory, whenever startled during sleep, both hands would instinctively go rigid in a defensive posture.

Though Jue Mingzi had said the odds weren’t great, and everyone was preoccupied with the war, forcing Ziqing to temporarily set aside the matter of Baili Weisheng’s amnesia, Xiong Xiaobao had never given up.

He’d always wanted to awaken Baili Weisheng’s memory, clinging to even the slightest glimmer of hope.

Yelu Qianqian and Situ Haonan, while perhaps not extremely close to Baili Weisheng, were still acquaintances he’d know—who could say the damned scholar wouldn’t recognize them at a glance!

After all, hadn’t the scholar asked about Yelu Qianqian’s name that time when his head was hurting?

Unable to budge Baili Weisheng, Xiong Xiaobao puffed out his cheeks, preparing to use brute force. Just as he was about to continue pulling, his eyes darted sideways, and he immediately narrowed them with a mischievous grin.

Wearing an unmistakably wicked expression, he raised two fingers, aiming precisely at Baili Weisheng’s nostrils!

“You won’t get up, huh!” he muttered darkly, then, with lightning speed, jabbed straight in!

“Aaahh…!” Baili Weisheng immediately let out a scream, bolting upright—awake at last!

He narrowed his long, slender eyes, not even realizing how increasingly rude and disrespectful he’d become toward Xiong Xiaobao lately, “You’d better, you’d better have something extremely important to say!”

“Auntie Qianqian and the others have arrived!” Xiong Xiaobao said with a radiant grin.

Baili Weisheng’s expression instantly changed—Yelu Qianqian… that oh-so-familiar name!